The lab, the lessons, and the legacy

I have always been amazed by the buildings and wanted to be a part of the team that is designing them.

The process seemed exciting, but at the same time terrifying because one small mistake could lead to devastating consequences.

All of the above was the reason for me to start my journey as a civil engineer and to study hard. But I have to be honest and say that I have never thought of historic buildings and their preservation until I started to work. After the 2020 earthquakes in Croatia, a lot of historic buildings have been damaged and need to be restored.

As I was working on those projects, I realized that it was challenging work because of all the uncertainties related to them. When my employers proposed me to go to Portugal and enroll the SAHC Masters course, it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

During the courses I have learned about materials, their properties and deterioration processes, about the behaviour of historic buildings under different actions using different analysis types, as well as about adequate strengthening techniques. The best part was the laboratory work, where we did everything by ourselves, which is the best possible way to learn.

During the coursework part, we were provided with a lot of information, but do not be overwhelmed. All the missing dots will be connected once you start writing the dissertation and do every step of the analysis by yourself.

Click here if you want to know more about SAHC advanced masters

All in all, it was an excellent year.

The course is challenging, but I fully recommend it as you will learn a lot. Also, keep in mind that you will get a chance to meet people from all around the world who will become your new family far away from home and will make everything a lot easier.